The Nationalist Party general council started meeting this evening with an opening address by general secretary Chris Said.
Under the maxim Work, Seriousness and Identity, Dr Said noted the general council came at an important political juncture for the country in the wake of the new cash-for-citizenship scheme that came into force this week.
The Nationalist Party has opposed the law and vowed to continue fighting it by challenging the legal notices that are needed to implement it. The PN has also not excluded petitioning for the holding of an abrogative referendum to repeal the law.
Dr Said described it as an "obscene" scheme that was an insult to the country's identity.
The general secretary said that in eight months the Labour government had come to think that it could bulldoze over everyone else because of the comfortable majority it enjoyed.
"It is a shame now that from Sri Lanka the Prime Minister instructs the Deputy Prime Minister to tell us there will be changes to the law that was only approved three days ago. But the damage has already been done," Dr Said insisted.
He gave a critical overview of the government's first Budget, insisting the Opposition's criticism was confirmed today by the European Commission's analysis. Quoting parts of the Commission's report, Dr Said urged councillors to read it.
He then explained a motion put forward by the executive that dealt with work, seriousness and identity.
The motion calls for incentives to encourage start up companies in innovation, research, the environment and gaming as well as the setting up of a development bank.
"The motion does not only criticise the government's actions but is proactive in making concrete proposals," he said.
A second motion focuses on the theme of seriousness, roping in the issues of accountability, meritocracy and transparency, three themes Dr Said noted had been flushed down the drain by the government.
Other speakers are addressing councillors.
The general council ends on Sunday with a speech by leader Simon Busuttil.